Honouring the past

Photo: Don McWatters, Lou Hailey AM and John McBryde. Don and John were both inducted into the Hockey Australia Hall of Fame in 2019. Photo courtesy of UQ Sport.

As hockey competitions return across most of the country, Hockey Australia (HA) is taking this opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate Life Membership and Award of Merit recipients, and the inductees into the Hall of Fame, particularly over the past two years.

From the start of 2018 there have been 12 people receive Hockey Australia Life Membership. Queenslander Jan Hadfield AM, South Australian Cyril Dakiniewicz and Western Australian duo Brian Glencross and Don Prior were made Life Members in 2019.

This follows Rosie Stern (SA) and Ken Read (TAS) in 2018 plus the six recipients in 2020 who were ratified and announced after this year’s HA Annual General Meeting.

Minka Woolley (TAS), Wendy Pritchard (WA), Graham Carter (ACT) and historian John Sanders (WA) were all recipients of an Award of Merit in 2019.

There have also been a host of Hall of Fame inductees. These include June Harding (nee Capes/Haines), Terrance Walsh, Ena McRae and Kathleen Partridge in 2018, and Don McWatters, John McBryde, Kay Lehmann (nee Kindervater), Lorraine Packham, Robin Ding (nee Bennett), Olga Corrigan (nee Hampson), Pretoria (Tory) Wicks, Judy Humphries (nee Burgess ), Pat Nilan and Des Spackman in 2019. Raymond (Ray) Evans, Charlie Morley, Kevin Carton and Jean Wynne (nee Pearce) were also inducted but have passed away.

Hockey Australia is working with States and Territories to induct those yet to be presented with an appropriate ceremony when it is medically safe to do so.

“As a sport, we are privileged to have so many amazing, exceptional and talented people involved in our game,” said Richard Aggiss, Chair of the Hall of Fame Committee and Hockey Australia Life Member.

“What accentuates this even more is the amount of selfless time, effort and service these people put in purely because of their passion and love of hockey and the hockey community.”

“On behalf of the Hockey Australia Hall of Fame Committee, the Board of Hockey Australia and everyone involved in hockey in this country, I congratulate these award recipients and inductees on their thoroughly deserved recognition and accolade, and sincerely thank each of them for their contribution to making our sport the wonderful game that it is.”

Keep an eye on the Hockey Australia website and social media channels in the coming weeks for individual profile pieces on each of the people below.

Life Members (2018-2020)
2018
Ken Read (TAS)
Rosie Stern (SA)

2019
Cyril Dakiniewicz (SA)
Brian Glencross (WA)
Jan Hadfield AM (QLD)
Don Prior (WA)

2020
Sue Briggs
Bob Claxton
Lyn Hill
Carol Sheridan
Robert Taylor
Colin Wansbrough

Award of Merit (2018-2020)
2019
Graham Carter (ACT)
Wendy Pritchard (WA)
John Sanders (WA)
Minka Woolley (TAS)

Hall of Fame (2018-2020)
2018
Raymond (Ray) Evans* (WA)
June Harding (nee Capes/Haines) (WA)
Terrance (Terry) Walsh (WA)
Kathleen Partridge (NSW)
Ena McRae (NSW)

2019
Men:
Kevin Carton* (WA) 
John McBryde (QLD)
Don McWatters (QLD) 
Charlie Morley* (VIC) 
Pat Nilan (NSW)
Des Spackman (NSW)

Women:
Robin Ding (nee Bennett) (WA)
Olga Corrigan (nee Hampson) (NSW)
Judy Humphries (nee Burgess) (TAS)
Kay Lehmann (nee Kindervater) (QLD)
Lorraine Packham (WA)
Pretoria (Tory) Wicks (NSW)
Jean Wynne* (nee Pearce) (WA)

*Deceased